While blue ink is often the “safest” fountain pen ink out there - both for your pens and your reputation at the office - using a standard blue as your daily driver can eventually start to feel stale. I love my Waterman Blue, but given how much writing I actually do on a daily basis, I always try to keep a steady stream of “alternative blues” at the ready to avoid ink burnout. One of my favorite color families to explore are dark teals and turquoises, which add variety and possibly even a touch of sophistication to your notes and/or signatures.
Did you know that it was National Rubber Duck day at the Philly Pen Show last weekend?
Lately, I’ve focused on four inks for my core “office” rotation: Pilot Iroshizuku Sui-Gyoku, a new release which might be my current favorite from the line; Pilot Iroshizuku Ku-Jaku, an old favorite which shares many of the same tones as Sui-Gyoku, only slightly darker; Laban Poseidon Green, which I consider a blue ink despite how it’s marketed; and Wearingeul Wayfarer, a shimmer ink with subtle pink sparkles that can also be used as a standard ink if you fill the pen without first shaking the bottle.
For my “office paper” writing sample, I chose Clairefontaine Seyes/French-Ruled.
None of these inks would typically be considered exciting, but for work they strike an appropriate balance. “Professional” doesn’t have to mean “boring” - you just have to know where to draw the line. My own rule of thumb is that the ink you use in the office shouldn’t overshadow or distract from the substance of the work you are trying to do. (i.e., You want the person whose memo you are commenting on to focus on the substance of your edits, not the fact that you wrote said edits in fluorescent orange shimmer ink.) On most standard office paper, and to the fountain-pen-uninitiated, these inks will appear blue. When you’re back at your own desk, however, writing on your quality paper of choice, you’ll enjoy the bit of dark red sheen on the Iroshizuku Inks, the shading on the Laban Poseidon Blue, and if you’re really daring, the faintest hint of pink/red shimmer on the Wayfarer!
Writing samples on Tomoe River paper in a Hobonichi A6 Journal.
General Takeaways and Where to Buy
If I recommend an ink for “office use”, it’s because I’ve found the ink to dry relatively quickly, and to resist bleeding and feathering on all but the cheapest of papers. All three meet these requirements, and they’re also relatively inexpensive. The Iroshizuku and Laban inks are priced at under $25 for a full 50ml bottle, and while Wayfarer is a bit pricier at $22 for 30ml, you do tend to pay more for inks with special properties like shimmer. I have to add that I love the look of the Iroshizuku bottles, and have for years kept at least one on my desk at the office as a conversation piece.
If you enjoy our content and are interested in any of the inks featured, we would greatly appreciate your support by visiting and purchasing via our shop. We carry both Pilot Iroshizuku and Laban Greek Mythology Inks in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, and for brands we don’t carry (such as Wearingeul), we would refer you to our friends at Vanness Pens!
Every so slight shimmer can be work-appropriate. Just know your workplace!
Editor’s Note: Why Should You Care About Ink Color?
Whenever I write a post like this one, I receive questions and comments about “why I care what people think” about the ink I use in the office. First of all, let’s be realistic - while there are workplaces that would tolerate the use of glitter/shimmer ink on professional correspondence, many do not. You know your office and what you can get away with. For many of us, simply writing with a fountain pen - and the “messiness” it entails - pushes the envelope in and of itself.
Second, many professions (like law) require the use of certain ink colors for specific purposes, with blue the most common for signatures and official documents. In my experience, standard blue ink tends to be the most universally accepted and to behave the best on the widest range of different paper, including cheap recycled copy paper. Teals and turquoises, such as those shown here in today’s post, have mostly similar ink formulations so the performance does not change dramatically.
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